49ers Minicamp Notebook: Saleh praises Purdy, Huff; McCaffrey ‘feels great’; Huff learns from Bosa

The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up their two-day mandatory minicamp on Wednesday. After practice, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, running back Christian McCaffrey, and newly acquired defensive end Bryce Huff addressed reporters, offering insight into the team's progress heading into training camp in late July.

Robert Saleh praises Brock Purdy

Saleh, now reunited with the 49ers after his stint as head coach of the New York Jets, was asked about quarterback Brock Purdy, who recently signed a five-year, $265 million contract extension.

Although Saleh wasn't with the team when Purdy was drafted last overall in 2022, he's impressed with what he's seen so far.

"I think highly of him, I really do," Saleh said. "He is really good. You get jaded sometimes, I think, when you're looking at certain players for a certain amount of time, and as a new face coming in, and seeing Brock, I'm like, 'Son of a gun is pretty damn good,' to where I could see where you get so used to seeing it, it becomes a standard, and you're always trying to elevate it.

"Not every head coach—or not every organization—is able to look at their quarterback and compare it to Brock. Brock is a damn good quarterback. I'm trying not to talk poorly on other quarterbacks around the league, but he is one of the better ones."

Bryce Huff's fit in the 49ers defense

The 49ers acquired edge rusher Huff as part of a significant overhaul of their defensive line, which also included using three draft picks on defensive linemen. Huff will now line up alongside All-Pro pass rusher Nick Bosa, forming a potentially dominant duo on the edge.

The trade reunites Huff with Saleh, who coached him during his breakout 2023 campaign with the New York Jets. That season, Huff posted a career-high 10 sacks and emerged as one of the league's most efficient pass rushers.

When asked what Huff brings to San Francisco's defense, Saleh didn't hesitate.

"Speed off the edge," Saleh said. "I think highly of him as a pass rusher. I thought he was very productive, obviously, with the Jets. He wins at such a high rate. A lot of times, we look at pass rushers, we look at sacks, and sacks are important. They end drives. It's what ultimately gets these guys paid, but his disruption rate in getting the quarterback off the spot, and the way he can do it—now."

Saleh added that Huff's quick first step and relentless motor make him a constant threat.

"He is a second-effort pass rusher, but he wins so quickly, so often, that coordinators have to account for his presence on the field," he continued.

Saleh admired Huff's work ethic on the way to that 10-sack season in 2023. A former undrafted free agent in 2020, the pass rusher has carved out a strong reputation through sheer determination. Despite being overlooked during the draft process, Huff says he never let it define him.

"I've never been a big-ego type of dude," Huff said. "I'm just thinking like I need to do what's best for the team."

That mentality has enabled him to stay prepared for every opportunity. Asked what makes him a strong fit in San Francisco's defensive scheme, Huff shared, "Just the way I like to play. Just get off the ball, be aggressive, get after the quarterback."

Huff's thoughts on being traded to the 49ers

Huff dealt with an injury setback during his lone season with the Eagles. Even when healthy, his impact was limited compared to his breakout 2023 campaign—a drop many attribute to a poor schematic fit. Huff was often tasked with responsibilities outside his strength: focusing strictly on attacking the quarterback.

"I learned a lot about myself throughout that experience," Huff said. "I don't know—it just didn't work out, at the end of the day. You live and you learn. All I focus on is what I'm doing right now, and that's being a Forty-Niner and doing everything I can to help this team win."

Huff already had an admirer in Bosa, even before his arrival.

"He was one of the guys that I liked to really watch when he was with the Jets," Bosa admitted last week. "And obviously, it didn't work out with the Eagles, but you take a guy who's playing a four-down-attack front, and then you put him in as an outside backer, it's not always gonna work out so great.

"He's really elite at a certain thing, so we're gonna use him that way, and I'm excited to see it."

Huff admitted that he had a list of preferred trade destinations, but he chose not to dwell on it. Instead, he poured his energy into training and preparation, making sure he was ready to contribute wherever he landed.

"Thankfully, it was to San Francisco because I'm very familiar with this scheme," he said.

Thoughts on Shanahan comparing him to Dee Ford

On Tuesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan offered high praise for his newly acquired pass rusher, stating that Huff has the best get-off-the-ball the team has seen since Dee Ford. While Ford's tenure with the 49ers was marred by injuries, his explosiveness off the edge was never in question.

Huff acknowledged the comparison.

"We did watch a lot of Dee Ford film in my earlier years in this scheme, so he was definitely a guy that I watched a long time," Huff said.

As for what links the two edge rushers, Huff pointed to their similar movement patterns.

"We have the same type of stride, and that's just something that he (Saleh) showed me so I can work on my timing with some of my moves and stuff like that," Huff explained.

Learning from Nick Bosa

Huff is looking to form a dominant edge-rushing tandem with Bosa this season. The two were seen chatting between practice reps on Tuesday, likely exchanging tips and insights on technique and execution.

"It's been cool because he's had a lot of success in his league, been a great player in his league for a long time," Huff said. "Just being able to hear what he has to say about certain things within pass rush or within the scheme has just been really cool being able to chop it up with him every day. I'm looking forward to working with him this year."

With Bosa as a teammate, Huff has a strong opportunity to elevate his game in a system that plays to his strengths.

Christian McCaffrey feels great, excited for 49ers' break

Running back Christian McCaffrey is eager to bounce back after an injury-plagued 2024 season in which he appeared in just four games and struggled to make a meaningful impact. Now healthy, the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year is determined to remind everyone why he's one of the league's most dynamic offensive weapons.

"I feel great," McCaffrey said. "This offseason, I spent a lot of time kind of building back a base, starting from scratch. So a lot of it was rehab, and I wanted to put myself in a position where I didn't miss a day of OTAs, and I could practice, and play football again, and be healthy, and not miss a day.

"I did that, and now, we can kind of kick back up the training again. But I feel great."

Shanahan has often said the team needs to protect McCaffrey from himself due to his relentless work ethic and refusal to take plays off. McCaffrey doesn't pay much attention to those concerns.

One reporter brought that up to McCaffrey, who was quick to dismiss the significance of those concerns.

"I don't think about that," McCaffrey said. "My job is to put my body in the best position it can to go out there and be me. Everything else, it's a lot of noise, and sometimes, there's a lot of different things going on. My job is just to go 100% every play and continue to get better. I just try to focus on that."

McCaffrey, who turned 29 over the weekend, recognizes that as he approaches his 30s, maintaining peak performance requires a more strategic approach to training and recovery.

"It's funny, I've had a lot of people tell me that as you get older, you need to do less," he said. "I think there's just a middle ground with that statement. And so, for me, it's kind of a constant evaluation of where your body's at and what you need. And you put a lot of trust in other people, in your trainer, your treatment people, the guys at the facility.

"If you follow their plans, and you like where it's going, and you start to feel good, but you're just constantly evaluating where you're at, and trusting the whole offseason process."

As the team breaks before training camp, McCaffrey has no plans to relax completely.

When asked what he will do during this stretch, McCaffrey said, "A lot of training and recovery and different things, but it'll be dedicated to just getting ready for this season—and having a kid, so also that."